Top Places to Go Before You Have Kids

Places to Go Before You Have Kids – I have a bucket list of dream destinations just like everyone else.

While I love traveling with kids, some vacations are just more practical (and enjoyable!) with adults only, and others simply feel too daunting with young children in tow.

You will never have enough time or money so if you get the chance to travel before kids, do it.

Here’s our list of places to go before you have kids.

Now that my children are school-aged, I look forward to the day they can accompany me to these places to travel as young adults, but in the meantime, the following destinations remain on my ‘I wish I’d visited before I had kids’ list.

Top 10 places to go before you have kids

Southeast Africa

I’ve long wanted to tour the National Parks of Africa, including Swaziland National Park and Kruger National Park.

Eco-friendly safari lodges are on the rise, and the beauty of this part of the world should not be underestimated.

Vietnam and Cambodia:

Given the benefits of traveling by tour operator through much of Asia, I wish I had crossed these diverse countries off my list while it was cheaper to do so!

When the kids are grown, I may embark on a women’s only tour of Vietnam and Cambodia.

After all, the six hour bus ride to see Siem Reap is not one I want to experience with kids.

Australia

Australia is a country (and a continent!) I’d like to tour with kids; however, I’d leave the cross-country Outback journey to a trip sans children.

While I’d love to cross the Outback by rail from the east coast of Australia to Perth, it might be a long journey with kids along.

Brazil

I’m not saying I need to go during Carnival, but Rio de Janeiro is a destination I’d love to explore without kids.

There are few destination where city and beach living merge to form the perfect adult getaway.

Alaska

Yes, Alaska is easily accessible with kids, but given the vastness of this state, and the depth of outdoor excursions, I wish I had given it a ‘dry run’ before planning a trip to Alaska with kids as my only experience there pre-kids was on an Alaskan cruise with stops at multiple ports.

A pre-kids Alaska itinerary would have included Denali National Park, but also glacier viewing from a bush plane over Talkeetna.

My fourth grader has experienced Denali National Park in his classroom as his teacher arranged for his class to Skype with a park ranger there.

It looks like a trip to visit Anchorage (where our friends recently moved) and Denali National Park may be in our near future!

Greece

I feel relaxed just thinking about Greece: the food, the sunshine, the beauty of the whitewashed architecture.

All things to be savored before (or after) family vacations come into season.

The city of Mykonos is all about late nights and leisurely mornings of sea, sun, and blue horizons.

Sign me up!

Surely everyone has a wish-list of things we should have done and places to go before you have kids.

What other destinations would you add to these places to go before you have kids?

If you traveled extensively pre-kids, where did you go that was adult-friendly?

Catch Up After a Vacation and Avoid Post-Trip Stress

It’s happened to the most travel-savvy among us: you return back to work after vacation just to realize that ‘reality’ hasn’t taken a break.

It’s right there waiting for you after your hassle-free trip in the form of unpaid bills, phone messages, and piles of laundry.

It is possible, however, to ensure a smooth landing post-vacation.

In the past few years of traveling extensively with my family, I’ve found a variety of small trip organization measures that enable us to return home happy — not stressed.

Work while you play.

I know it’s no fun, but building in even 30 minutes of work per day while you’re traveling can save you countless hours upon your return.

I’m not talking about completing major projects or overseeing board meetings: just stay on top of important emails, meet regular deadlines, and avoid putting off the small things that build up: easy-to-answer emails, phone calls, and regular responsibilities.

Come home a day early.

I know, I’m really sounding like a drag, but scheduling your vacation to end on a Saturday instead of a Sunday night is doing yourself a favor (and will save you airfare, too).

Those extra 24 hours go a long way toward reorienting yourself to being home, grabbing your mail, and maybe even debriefing about the trip over a nice meal before work resumes.

To really make the most of this time, don’t tell anyone you’re home!

Unpack immediately.

When the suitcases sit in the entry hall for days (or even weeks), you’re conceding that much more time to feeling disoriented as you hunt down your toothbrush or that favorite pair of socks.

The post-vacation workload will seem all the more painless if bags are put away and laundry is done on the day of your return.

Use transit time to get caught up.

Whether you’re traveling by air or car (or train), there will be plenty of downtime during your trip.

Use the time you’re not in the driver’s seat to get caught up on your smart phone or tablet.

As a travel writer, I write first drafts of destination reviews as I depart: it’s fresh in my mind and time I’m held captive in the car or plane anyway.

Download and categorize vacation photos as you go.

For my family, viewing the day’s photos over dinner or before bedtime is a fun way to remember the finer points of our day together.

As I’m showing them the day’s greatest hits, I download and file the photos.

This way, I’m not slammed with hundreds of raw images once I’m home.

If you have kids, consider these bonus tips to avoid post vacation stress:

Clear your kids’ schedule ahead of time.

You wouldn’t dream of leaving work for a week without preparation, and you shouldn’t do it to your kids, either.

Even young children will have events, school assignments, or regularly scheduled activities they will miss while away.

Schedule make-up classes ahead of time instead of afterward, and gather homework assignments that can be completed while on the road.

Offer to help older kids keep a travel journal or video log to make up for missed class time: this can easily be accomplished while traveling without being considered ‘homework’.

Do laundry on the go.

Even during short-term travel, kids need ‘down days’.

Combine these with laundry days and return home with at least some clean, folded clothes in their suitcases.

Find a movie theater or park near a laundromat to make this experience pain-free.

How do you combat post-vacation stress?

Do you stay on top of life-at-home, or prefer to play catch-up?

Hauz Khas Village Pubs for when you visit Delhi

Hauz Khas village pubs is best known for spirits, lively entertainment, trendy decor and amazing food and drinks.

Here is a list of the top five pubs for when you are visiting Delhi.

These village pubs are perfect hangout zones for food, people-watching, and lively nightlife.

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